• JON Winn of “Keep Highbury Moving” says LTNs cause gridlock on main roads, (Roads row: closures halt priest’s dash to see the dying, July 2), but John Hartley promotes Islington’s LTNs and the website LowTrafficIslington.org, (Let’s see pressure put on TfL to prioritise buses, June 25).

Both would agree that we need to maximise the use of our railways, so people choose to use trains instead of cars. And there is some good news for once.

Network Rail’s May 25 report – London Rail Freight Strategy Summary – means that more trains could provide the North London Line service through Highbury & Islington station.

Some removed railway track would be reinstated and the third platform at Camden Road station would be reopened by London Overground, when agreement with the Department for Transport on funding can be reached.

Transport for London suggests in the report that, post-Covid, “the eastern end of the North London Line will see some of the strongest growth on the London Overground network”.

Fortunately, adding a platform at Camden Road station “will allow peak capacity boosting of Stratford-Camden Road services, with the option to operate through the off-peak as well. This would provide additional passenger capacity where it is most needed.”

Reinstating these Islington-to-Camden Road railway tracks is one of five Network Rail priority schemes in London that are proposed in the report. They allow both more passenger trains and take more freight off London’s roads.

It’s unlikely all would be funded at the same time, but the government’s spending squeeze on TfL over multi-billion projects like Crossrail 2 could possibly allow the smaller schemes to go ahead.

NEIL ROTH
Honorary Secretary
Future Transport London